Hey, my name is Nick Rosencrans, and I’m a consultant for the Office of Information Technology at the University of Minnesota. The Usability Services group helps identify issues affecting end-users so the design team can make products that are as intuitive and easy to use as possible.

As a Michigan native; I attended Michigan Technological University to study communication, computer science, and music. In 2008, I earned a master's degree from the University of Minnesota focusing on scientific and technical communication, and human factors. I am interested in product development (extensible design and functional specification), user-centered design (error identification and persona development), and experience analysis (contextual inquiry and scenario composition).

Outside of work, I read a number of blogs like 43 Folders, Boxes and Arrows, Copyblogger, Lifehacker, Six Revisions, Smashing Magazine, and Unclutterer. I also occasionally leave my laptop behind for outdoor activities like bicycling—over 1,000 miles last year—and hiking. Some of my favorite places in the Twin Cities are the Brave New Workshop and the Science Museum of Minnesota, but I also enjoy spots like Minnehaha Park and the new Midtown Greenway when the weather is nice.